Veni Vidi Amavi
by Bainbridge
Summary: Or we came, we saw, we loved. The tale of Mike and Harvey, their life and love in retrospect, as told by their loved ones as they say goodbye.
1. Olivia

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, I'm just playing in the brilliant Aaron Korsch's world.**

 **Chapter 1: Introduction**

It's not surprising, the room filled to the room with mourners. The men who brought these people together blessed the world with so much light and laughter, touching every life they encountered. No one was left untouched. They were a bit like a whirlwind like that. But this was wrong. This wasn't what they wanted, and it definitely wouldn't be how they would want to be remembered.

Looking up, I see their oldest friend, Donna, her hair more grey than red, still full of life despite her age. Meeting eyes, I know she agrees and supports what I'm about to do. With a deep sigh, I fill myself with an air of confidence and briskly walked to the front of the room, standing between the two large tables of mementos brought by the mourners. What I lack in height, I more than make up in presence and it's not long before the room has gone eerily silent.

"Hello everyone. I know I've spoken to many of you in the past week, and there's many of you I've never met. For those of you who I have never had the honor of meeting, I apologize and let me introduce myself. My name is Olivia Ross Specter, the oldest child to the handsome men we're all here celebrating today.

My parents weren't like other parents. They taught me about safe habits on the city by teaching me jaywalking laws, socialized me as a child by bringing me to the courthouse, and loved their kids more than I can express in words. They loved each other in such a way that it was felt across the room, igniting the space with happiness and warmth.

This has been difficult for my family, those of us united by blood," I said making eye contact with my sister and brother, "and those united by loyalty." A light head nod to Donna and her husband who wore watery smiles. This is hard, not because of their loss, but because of the loss of the future. We'll never have daddy's burnt pancakes and never see papa light up when we open birthday presents again. They'll never see their grandkids grow up and they'll never see the impact of their legacy. I know right now they're looking down, papa with a big old smirk at how many people are cramped in this room today, and even in the standing room only areas in the hallways. He always did love to be the center of attention. But he never minded sharing the spotlight with daddy. Not once."

Seeing the chuckles go around the room I continued, "I apologize to anyone who came today expecting a traditional mourning service because you won't be getting it. My fathers were full of life and are rolling around somewhere upstairs that there are people in poorly fitted suits crying over their death instead of celebrating their life. We'll proceed with a moment of silence for mourning, and then...then we celebrate life."

I bowed my head, indicating to everyone else to do the same. With my eyes closed, I could hear papa's voice, "silence as an adult is peaceful, silence as an adult with kids means trouble!" The quote was almost always followed by him finding me or my siblings getting into mischief or general destruction. Smiling at the memory, I lifted my head.

"Thank you all again so much for coming out today. As we proceed through the day, I'm going to leave this microphone here for anyone to share any comments, memories, and stories they would like to share about our fathers and their lives and love. In proper Specter fashion, there will be whiskey coming around to enjoy and a cab queue for anyone choosing to imbibe. Our only request is that all statements be positive or happy in some way." I began to step away before pivoting back, "and for the love of God, please stop sending flowers. If you must send condolence gifts, whiskey and vinyls will do just fine." A hearty round of laughter broke out around the room as I walked to my brother and sister.

Approaching them with a bashful smile, nervous as I hadn't cleared this change of plans with them. I was embraced in a group hug before I knew it, and with my head nestled between their heads, I let out the watery sigh I'd been holding since stepping away and meeting their eyes once more. "You guys sure you're ok with this?"

Before they could reply, I feel Donna whirl me into a hug and answer for them. "It's perfect. Exactly what they would have wanted."

 **Next chapter: We start to hear from the crowd. I already have some life milestones and speakers in mind, but am totally open to suggestions or requests from review!.**

 _AN: For those wondering, all of the siblings will get more face time in soon, I just want to develop everyone properly and not just throw them all out at once. Like Olivia mentioned in her monologue, it's meant to be a happy story so besides this chapter there will be minimum angst moving forward!_


	2. Louis

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, I'm just playing in the brilliant Aaron Korsch's world.**

 **Written from Louis's POV,** ** _Italics are present day_** **and regular are flashback**

 **Chapter 2: Louis Litt**

 _Staring out into the mingling crowd, I ran a hand slowly over my head taking in a shuddering breath before beginning, "I never thought I would be doing this. This speaking in front of people on behalf of Mike and Harvey. Telling the world about how great they were and the impression they made on my life," pausing to disguise the crack in my voice._

 _They made an impression and then some. They taught me about love, forgiveness, and hope. They helped me become a better lawyer and later a better person. I remember sitting in Mike's office, a morning not long after he made junior partner. It was the first time that I understood that their relationship and mentorship was based on companionship and truly being partners_

 _I had been sitting across from Mike exchanging information about some big corporate deal we were working on and Harvey comes BLOWING through the office, unbuttoning his jacket as he whirled in. He clearly didn't realize I was sitting there because he just began this rant-"_

"How can you leave in the middle of a conversation like this? Mike, please. You can't be serious. I thought we were enough. That **I** was enough. Kids? Picket fence? That's never been on the table for us. Is this not enough for you?"

 _"By the time he'd finished, he'd gotten himself worked up and breathless. In all of our years together, I'd never seen him so unglued. I just watched as Mike's eyes grew wider at Harvey's state, and seeing a break in the tirade-"_

He closed his eyes and sighed a visibly deep sigh, clearly steeling himself for what was to come.

" **You** can't be serious right now. Harvey we're at work." He glanced at me still sitting in awe on the other side of his desk, directing Harvey's attention to my presence for the first time. It was when Harvey turned to address me that I got it. I got them. I knew they had been in a relationship for some time, but it never clicked until that point. I couldn't understand how they fit, but sitting there watching them I realized it was all about balance.

Mike reached an arm out shaking his head and steadily redirected Harvey's attention back to him, "No, you have an issue with me, not him. Well, not him right now. Yes Harvey we are enough, **you** are enough. But I want the picket fences Harvey. I've never hidden that. I love the condo and I love Ray and our Star Trek Saturdays, but you know what I would love more-" here he had stopped, his voice cracked and I realized I was intruding on much more than I realized. As I began to quietly inch out of my seat, I watched in awe.

"I would love to leave work with you, and not hide that we're going to the same place and bed. I would love to go home to a home-a lived in home, not a museum of a condo. I would love to pull into our driveway, tripping over our dog and kids as we tell them about our day. Exchanging stories about crazy clients as we try to wrangle our kids into bed at night. I want our kids to know their parents couldn't have loved each other more. I need that Harvey. **We** are enough. But you have to understand that we aren't limited to this. We aren't limited to today and now and how things are today. We have so much potential. And I want to explore that. I'm not saying we adopt an orphanage today or even tomorrow. I'm not even saying we go to the pet shelter today. I just need to know you see a future with us too. Harvey I need to know you're my partner in this, I can't do it alone."

 _Picturing the scene with my eyes closed, I smiled lightly, "From my spot near the door, I knew I should have left, that this was so far into personal territory but I couldn't. The kid had just laid himself out raw and I was afraid of what Harvey would do. Harvey and I weren't friends then, strategic acquaintances at best, but the kid had grown on me and I was worried for him. I saw Harvey take a step forward, and as I saw Mike's breath hitch, I prepared to step forward-"_

Harvey kept taking tentative steps until he was standing at the edge of Mike's personal space when he placed a hand lightly on Mike's shoulder, "Mike. You. Are. My. Partner. I'm just really overwhelmed. I didn't think the white picket fence talk was coming, you know? So few of our friends even know we're together and then before I've even had my first cup of coffee you're talking about wanting kids and a house with a wraparound porch and a dog named Ben. Being partners means you have to keep me on the same page, not let things fester and bother you and then spring them on me."

"Why is that? We've been together for several years now, and yet only our closest friends and family know. How am I supposed to feel like a partner or-Harvey I talked to Neal and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa. I thought we agreed a long time ago that we don't discuss our relationship with Donna and by extension, her husband?"

"I know and we did, but we were at lunch and he was just staring longingly at this father-daughter pair sitting at the lunch counter and he got to telling me about how he had always wanted a daughter and we got started to exchanging life dreams and before I could help it, I was telling him how when I closed my eyes I could see it. Driving up a tree-lined driveway, our dog, running to greet us, opening the door and hearing the happy giggles of kids. I could smell sugar cookies in the air. When I opened my eyes, I felt this sense of loss and I-"

Reaching to grasp Mike's hands that he hadn't realized he'd been wringing as he spoke. A thumb lightly tracing his left ring finger as he spoke, Harvey finally understood.

"It scares me Mike. I won't pretend it doesn't, but not because I'm afraid of the commitment. I'm afraid you're going to start moving towards those dreams and realize maybe I don't fit as well you think I will. I don't know that we'll ever have the picket fence dreams, but I know whatever I do, I would like to do it with you."

"Scared is good. I can do scared, we can tackled scared together, but what I can't take is you not talking to me. You say you want to be partners, then be my partner Harvey. Be here, be with me, be my partner."

 _"_ _I had walked out at that point, stopping just to breathe and be in awe of what I had just witnessed. I walked back to my office overwhelmed and in shock. Mike came to my office later that day to apologize for the intrusion and thank me for handling it so gracefully and before I could help myself I found myself thanking him. I thanked him for showing me how to be compassionate and forgiving in tense moment, for showing me how to be an effective partner to my loved ones, for giving me hope to find my own companionship someday._

 _My time with Mike and Harvey wasn't always sappy stories and happy endings, but they were incredible men and I wouldn't change our experiences for the world._

 **A/N: This one got away from me-this was not at all what I had in mind, but it wrote itself. I'm not usually this sappy, I don't know what happened. No worries, I have a feeling we'll hear from Louis again...**

 **Next chapter: Some light-hearted family time!**


End file.
